I'm surprised Boeing hasn't called to use our air-tunnel dining room to test new products. Despite the fact that it is inches away from a wood-burning stove, it's the coldest
— and draftiest
— room in the house.

The first step we've taken is replacing the old windows with new Reflections by Simonton that totally rock! Now our windows are trapping more heat than our 100-year-old un-insulated walls.

The next phase of construction includes stripping the walls back to the block, building new stud walls, insulating, and then installing perimeter sideboards to hold tableware items and showcase knick-knacks.

Mark is planning to celebrate his love of molding in the dining room with a trim package that includes chair rail, crown, and picture rail. If we could afford the space, we'd take out the bedroom above so we could include a coffered ceiling.

The previous owner of our home--Mary Fabiani--enjoyed pink and flowered wallpaper way more than us. While the windows aren't original, they are so old they need to be replaced.

Time to take out the old replacement window. Mark used a Worx recip saw (shown here), a circular saw, and a cordless impact driver with a Hitachi bit extension to release this window.

Caulk, foam, and trim are the final steps to securing thermal efficiency of our already highly efficient new driftwood-colored vinyl windows. With windows that have Low E glass and filled with argon gas, Simonton is an Energy Star partner.